Atomizing desuperheater shutoff apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a desuperheater spraying valve assembly. More particularly, the invention provides a new and improved valve assembly, whereby cooling liquid may be controllably injected into a gas or a liquid stream, typically steam, to selectively maintain the gas or liquid at a predetermined temperature level. In a possible embodiment of the present invention, a class V valve assembly is disclosed. It comprises an actuator coupled to a plug with a valve seat in the proximity of said plug. The plug is affixed to an actuator rod which transverses the body of the valve assembly. A spray tube may be affixed to said valve seat and at least one spray nozzle is affixed to a to the spray tube. The plug and said valve seat are conical in shape as to when said plug is inserted into said valve, they form a seal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a spray desuperheater apparatus andmethod. More particularly, the present invention is directed to animproved desuperheater valve assembly, which may have a plurality ofnozzles affixed to the spray assembly. The aforementioned assemblyallows for the controlled injection of a cooling liquid into asuperheated fluid to selectively reduce the temperature of thesuperheated fluid and maintain the downstream flow at a predeterminedtemperature level.

Superheated fluid is fluid that is at a temperature that is higher thanthe boiling point of the fluid. Many industrial applications operatemost efficiently using a fluid that is saturated or only slightlysuperheated, but many fluid generators tend to produce a fluid that isexcessively superheated. Excessive temperatures (superheat) may damagesystem components, adversely affect the efficiency of operation orquality of the product being manufactured. The process of injecting acontrolled amount of coolant to reduce the temperature of thesuperheated medium to a specific and precise temperature is defined asdesuperheating. Also superheated steam excessive thermal energy cancause damage to the utilizing devices or processes, making it necessaryto rigidly control and maintain the steam temperature. Steamdesuperheating refers to the process of reducing and controlling thetemperature of the superheated steam by introduction of cooling waterinto the steam flow.

A common method to desuperheat steam is by spraying or injecting acooling liquid into the flow of superheated steam while it is passingthrough a steam pipe or the like. Once the cooling liquid is sprayedinto the superheated steam flow, water droplets are formed. The dropletsrapidly mix with the superheated steam and evaporates, drawing thermalenergy away from the steam and thus regulating its temperature. Dropletsizes and spray pattern are among the main parameters, which determinedesuperheating efficiency. Thus it is important to utilize a spraynozzle that allows for the injection of a cooling fluid into theprocessed steam or any superheated fluid the smallest available dropletswith optimum spray patterns and additional mixing control capability.

Because the amount of superheat varies with the amount of steamproduction the most accurate regulation can be made by sensing thetemperature of the steam at a point downstream where the injected waterhas been completely vaporized and heated so that equilibrium conditionshave been reached. Conventionally this would require a spray nozzle thatis optimized for a very narrow coolant flow rate, and if the flow rateis varied outside of certain parameters, the resulting spray pattern maynot give prompt enough heat transfer to allow an equilibrium conditionto be sensed and proper steam conditions be attained. However,spring-loaded nozzles allow to eliminate this problem.

An important aspect of desuperheating steam or any gas, is a valve'sability to control the flow of cooling liquid being injected into thesuperheated steam or any gas. The main control element of a valve is atrim, which usually comprised of three components, a plug, cage, and aseat. In a plug throttling trim types, the plug has a contour on itslower end, below the seat. The contoured portion provides varying flowarea with lift, thus regulating the flow. The flow characteristic of thetrim varies according to the profile of the plug. Thus, having controlvalve as a separate unit adds installation and maintenance cost for adesuperheater user.

Due to the service locations, there are more strict requirements forleak tightness for desuperheater coolant control valves in the closedposition. If the valve were to leak when the desuperheating was notneeded, the unrequited cooling of the steam may cause damage or impedethe performance of equipment using the steam. The ANSI/FCI 70-2(American National Standards Institute/ Fluid Controls Institute)standard establishes a series of seat leakage classes for controlvalves. Class V is usually specified for the desuperheater coolantcontrol valves. It is the most restrictive leakage class formetal-to-metal trim design.

A power positioning actuator is required for kipping the valve fullyclosed and moving the valve closure membrane, plug, to any position inresponse to a signal of a temperature control system. The flow over theseat with unbalanced plug design utilizes the valve inlet pressure toassist closure of the valve, which significantly reduces required forcefrom the actuator to provide tight seat leakage shutoff.

To effect movement of the aforementioned plug, which is located inside avalve, there needs to be a transfer of motion from a power positioningactuator to the valve's plug through the body of the valve. The valvemay contain liquid at a high pressure and the having a hole in thevalve's body to transfer motion to the plug via a stem may enableleaking at the place where the stem goes through the body of the valve.One way to prevent leaks is to employ a stuffing box. A stuffing boxmaybe a gland seal or the like, used to seal the reciprocating stem fromthe fluid.

Additionally, it would desirable to have a replaceable seat ring with amodular design which would permit multiple configurations which can beassembled with a minimum number of unique components. This will increaseprofit margins, reduce the end user part replacement costs for repairand maintenance activities. It would also be desirable to employ moredurable materials to increase the service life and provide a wider rangeof capacity.

Thus, it would be desirable to integrate the cooling liquid controlvalve into the desuperheater apparatus to reduce costs by eliminatingthe need of a separate cooling liquid control valve and itscorresponding conduit assemblies. It would also be desirable to restrictthe coolant leakage to meet the ANSI/FCI 70-2 class V classificationcharacteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a spray desuperheater. Moreparticularly, the invention provides a new and improved spray tubeassembly which may having a plurality of nozzles, whereby liquid coolantmay be controllably injected into a gas or a superheated fluid,typically steam, to selectively maintain the fluid at a predeterminedtemperature level.

In a possible embodiment of the present invention, a MechanicalAtomizing Desuperheater with Class V Shutoff (MADV) introduces liquidcoolant into a superheated medium. The MADV is a probe style directcontact heat exchanger that combines a flow control element (trim) and aspray tube with spring-loaded injection nozzles. The flow controlelement modulates the coolant flow using a top guided plug-throttlingtrim, which is configured to provide the required flow controlcharacteristics. The trim is comprised of two components, a top guidedplug and a seat ring. The plug has a contour on its lower end, below theseat. The contoured portion of the plug defines flow characteristic, byvarying flow area relative to the plug position. The plug is guided byreplaceable guide insert that is press-fitted into the upper part of theMADV body. Throttling occurs between the contoured portion of the plugand the seat ring bore. The seat ring is mounted at the top of the spraytube.

Prior art Multi-nozzle spray desuperheaters and spring assistedmulti-nozzle desuperheaters both have an internal flow control element,which is located at the highest temperature zone of the desuperheater.The resulting high thermal stresses and different thermal expansions ofthe internal parts create the potential for accelerated operationalfailures and/or premature wear of internal parts. The present inventionresolves this problem by locating the trim outside of highesttemperature zone. A series of injection nozzles are fitted to the end ofthe spray tube to complete the assembly and this assembly is insertedthrough the header connection. In addition, current embodiments have theMADV's nozzles also have a higher capacity and more robust design thanthe nozzles used in the multi-nozzle spray and spring assistedmulti-nozzle desuperheaters. The replaceable seat ring and modulardesign of the MADV permits multiple configurations to be assembled witha minimum number of unique components to increase margins, reduce enduser part replacement cost for maintenance activities, enable the use ofmore durable materials to increase the service life, and provide a widerrange of capacity.

Each injection nozzle is an assembly that consists of a spring-loadedplunger that is located in a cylindrical housing with a centralcylindrical cavity having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. Theinjection nozzle also has a plunger inserted into the fluid outlet ofthe housing so that the plunger and the housing form a fluid path. Aplunger stop is attached to the housing at the fluid inlet. A springretainer is attached to the plunger. At least one spring is disposedbetween the housing and spring retainer.

Additionally, the replaceable seat ring and modular design of the MADVpermits multiple configurations to be assembled with a minimum number ofunique components which will increase margins, reduce end user partreplacement cost for maintenance activities, enable the use of moredurable materials to increase the service life, and provide a widerrange of capacity.

A method for desuperheating steam in a steam pipe utilizing a SeatLeakage Class V valve assembly is disclosed as another possibleembodiment. The method comprises detecting a temperature of steam in asteam pipe and sending the temperature to a controller. The controllerthen sends a control signal to a valve actuator coupled to a plug insidea valve. The valve actuator positions said plug proximate to a valveseat inside the valve to increase or decrease a flow rate of a coolingtraversing through said valve. The cooling liquid is then sprayed with aspray nozzle into a steam pipe to perform desuperheating.

In an additional possible embodiment, a class V desuperheater system isdisclosed. The system comprises a means for detecting for a temperatureof steam in a conduit carrying a liquid or a gas and a means to sendsaid temperature to a controller. A means to control sends a controlsignal to a valve actuator coupled to a plug inside a valve, whichpositions said plug proximate to a valve seat inside said valve toincrease or decrease a flow rate of a coolant traversing through saidvalve. A spraying means to spray said liquid coolant with a spray nozzleinto said gas or liquid conduit to perform desuperheating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a steam line incorporating of a prior artdesuperheater apparatus.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of an embodiment of adesuperheater apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 a illustrates may be an example of the composition on theinjection nozzle of a desuperheater apparatus in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 3. is an enlarged view of the desuperheater apparatus of thepresent invention in the closed position.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a plug employed in the valve of a desuperheaterapparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing a valve in the closed positionin a desuperheater apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view showing an example of a stuffing boxutilized in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating three types of flow controlcharacteristics of the present invention during operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from thedetailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claimsto cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, sincenumerous modifications and variations will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to theexact construction and operation illustrated and described, andaccordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents maybe resortedto, falling within the scope of the invention.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of theinvention in order that the detailed description herein may be betterunderstood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may bebetter appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of theinvention that will be described below and which will form the subjectmatter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of thepresent invention in detail, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited in its application to the details of construction and tothe arrangements of the components set forth in the followingdescription or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable ofembodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced andcarried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract,are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

Desuperheaters are commonly used to cool steam or vaporized water, butthe present invention may be deployed in piping or conduits carryinggases. Referring now to the drawings in greater detail and specificallyto FIG. 1, a schematic arrangement of a prior art superdeheater. Asillustrated, on the inlet a portion of a gas or liquid conduit 26, aflanged mounting fitting 20 is provided on the sidewall and a injectionnozzle 30 is mounted inside the gas or liquid conduit 26 and is suppliedwith cooling liquid. The cooling liquid is under pressure and issupplied with said cooling liquid from a liquid supply line 17. Also,depicted is a control valve assembly 15 which operates to control theflow of liquid to the injection nozzle 30. The injection nozzle 30controls the flow of cooling liquid which is atomized and injected intothe liquid coolant line 9. The cooling liquid flow is a function inresponse to a temperature sensor 19, mounted in the gas or liquidconduit 26 spaced a distance downstream from the injection nozzle 30.The temperature sensor 19 functions to send a temperature measurementsignals to a temperature controller 11, which evaluates the temperatureagainst a desired set point and sends a corrective signal to the controlvalve assembly 15 to either restrict or increase the flow of the coolingliquid. Preferably, the distance between the temperature sensor 19 andthe injection nozzle 30 is distance sufficient to allow the steam tocome to equilibrium after the liquid has been injected in the stream toensure a true measurement of the steams thermal energy. Thus, thecontrol valve assembly 15, operates to vary the water flow in the liquidcoolant line 9, which in turn modulates the amount of liquid sprayedinto the gas or liquid conduit 26.

In the present embodiments, the control valve assembly 15 isincorporated into the body of the Desuperheater, as show in FIGS. 2-6.Continuing with FIGS. 2-4, each depicts a cross sectional close-up viewof an embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, turning toFIG. 2, a gas or liquid conduit 26 incorporating the MechanicalAtomizing Desuperheater (MADV) apparatus unit 10, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention is illustrated. FIG. 2 depicts thegas or liquid conduit 26, wherein a flanged mounting fitting 20 ismounted on the sidewall of the gas or liquid conduit 26. As illustrated,the main body 12 of the MADV apparatus unit 10 is attached to theflanged mounting fitting 20 with via mechanical connection, for example,mounting bolts 14. An attached liquid coolant inlet 24 is a flange typeconnector. A first end of a spray tube 21 is fitted at the outlet of themain body 12. The second end of the spray tube 21 has a spray unit 28affixed to it. The spray unit 28 has a at least one injection nozzle 30for atomizing the liquid coolant into the gas or liquid conduit 26.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the main body 12, can beconstructed from varying materials including carbon steel, wherein themain alloying constituent is carbon. The main body 12 may be cast,forged or machined in the desired dimensions and geometry. Also,depending upon the pressure and temperature requirements where the valvewill be deployed, the choice of material can vary in composition ofalternative carbon steel formulations, such as WC6, WC12, WC12A or anyother suitable metal, alloy or plastic.

Turning now to FIG. 2 a, may be an example of the composition on theinjection nozzle 30 and it may comprise an assembly comprising of aspring-loaded plunger 31 that is retained in a cylindrical housing 32having a central cylindrical cavity. As illustrated, each nozzle 30 hasa fluid inlet 33 and a fluid outlet 34. The injection nozzle 30 also hasa plunger inserted into the fluid outlet of the housing so that theplunger and the housing form a fluid path. Each injection nozzle 30further includes a plunger stop which is attached to the housing at thefluid inlet. A spring retainer is attached to the plunger and functionsto close the injection nozzle when no fluid under pressure is present.

Now referring to FIG. 4, a cross sectional view of plug which bedeployed in accordance with one non-limiting embodiment is illustrated.The plug 18 is attached to a valve stem 37 b and is held in place with apin 37 c. The plug 18 has a mostly conical shape. As depicted in FIG. 2,the other side of the valve stem 37 b is attached to an actuator controlrod 37 a. Referring back to FIG. 2, the other side of the actuatorcontrol rod 37 a is connected to a pneumatic valve actuator 36. Thepneumatic valve actuator 36 moves the plug 18 to a various positionbased upon control instructions provided by the temperature controller11. The aforementioned translation and positioning of the plug isaccomplished via the linkage assembly that is formed between theactuator control rod 37 a and the valve stem 37 b. The plug 18 ispositioned above and inside a valve seat 16. The shape of the valve seat16 is also mostly conical in shape having its minor frustrum near thevalve's outlet and its major frustrum inside the body of the valve. Theplug 18 and valve seat 16 can be any shape as long as they are similar.For example, the plug may be a block and the valve seat may be ancorresponding square, and when the block is “seated” on the valve seat,the flow through the valve is restricted.

In one preferred embodiment, the plug 18 may be made out of softannealed type 420 Stainless Steel. This alloy provides both outstandingcorrosion resistance and exceptional wear resistance. It is also knownas cutlery grade martensitic stainless steel. The valve seat 16 can alsobe made out of this material. Alternatively, the plug 18 and the valveseat 16, may be manufactured from other materials, such as carbon steel,Stellite (cobalt-chromium alloys), brass, beryllium-copper or any heatdurable corrosion resistant metal or alloy.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the valve seat 16 is fitted next to the spraytube 21. Also as illustrated, C-ring 16 a is positioned between the seatring 16 and the spray tube 21 to ensure a leak proof seal. The C-ring isessentially a metal O-ring with an open side. In contrast to a O-ring,the C-ring requires approximately one-half of the load of an O-ring withlittle change in leak rate over its compression. This results in jointswith less sensitivity to flange displacement, while retaining therequired pressure and temperature characteristics of the O-ring. TheC-ring key may be constructed from varying materials, however, onepreferred embodiment, for example, one preferred material is a high-dutyalloy such as Alloy 718, which is a nickel-chromium-iron-molybdenum withthe addition of niobium to permit age-hardening.

As previously discussed the plug 18 modulates the flow of coolantthrough the valve assembly by changing the positioning of the valve stem37 b. One embodiment of the MADV apparatus unit 10 encompassed by thepresent invention utilizes a pneumatically operated control valveactuator, however, electric, hydraulic, and manual actuators may also beutilized. Returning to FIG. 2, the pneumatic valve actuator 36 is aspring-and-diaphragm pneumatic actuator type and is depicted inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. This type ofpneumatic valve actuator 36 is oftentimes preferred due to itsdependability and simplicity of design. Electric and electro-hydraulicactuators can be utilized with the present invention, for example, inenvironments where an no air supply source is not available, or havinglow ambient temperatures which could freeze condensed water in pneumaticactuators, or where unusually large stem forces are needed.

The plug 18 position relative to the valve seat 16 permits the actuatorto modulates the coolant flow. For example, when the plug 18 is seatedupon the valve seat 16, the coolant flow through the MADV apparatus unit10 is nil. Additionally, as the plug 18 is moved away from the seat ring16, the cooling liquid will start to flow. The shape of the plug 18 andthe shape of the valve seat 16 are chosen to provide certain coolantflow characteristics. For example, the amount travel or stroke of theplug 18 can be directly proportional to the flow of the cooling liquidflowing to the spray tube 21. If the plug 18 of the MADV apparatus unit10 is opened to three-quarters of the plug's travel distance (from afully closed position), the flow rate through the MADV apparatus unit 10will likely be 75% of the valve being fully opened.

Turning now to FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating three algebraic flowcharacteristics based upon the plug's 18 and valve seat's 16 geometriesand dimensions. The percent of travel of the plug 18 is referenced onthe x-axis, while the percent Cv is referenced on the y-axis. Cv is ameasure for the flow of a valve and is defined as the volume of flow perunit of time. Cv may be calculated in U.S. gallons per minute (g.p.m.)of water at a temperature of 60° Fahrenheit with a pressure drop acrossthe valve of 1 pound per square inch (p.s.i.) It can be calculated byformula (1)

Cv=g.p.m./√{square root over (fully_open_pressure_drop)}  formula (1)

A linear plot “L” illustrates a possible linear relationship between thevalve's flow to plug's 18 position within the valve. A modifiedparabolic plot “M” illustrates a possible modified parabolicrelationship of the valve's flow to plug's 18 position within the valveand an equal percentage plot “E,” illustrates a possible equalpercentage relationship between the valve's flow to the plug's 18position within the valve.

During operation of the MADV apparatus unit 10, while in the full openposition, the flow of the cooling liquid is at a maximum rate. As thevalve is transitioned to the closed position, the plug 18 is translatedtowards the valve seat 16, decreasing the flow rate of the coolingliquid. Once the plug 18 is fully seated into the seat ring 16, theliquid coolant flow completely terminates and the valve is closed. Asillustrated in FIG. 5, the top of the valve seat 18 has a seat ringshoulder 18 a that compliments plug shoulder 19 a. Consequently, whenthe valve is in the closed position (seated) position the seat ringshoulder 18 a and the plug shoulder 19 a are in contact one anotherproducing a tight seal.

In the above described closed position, the desuperheater application ofthe present invention provides minimal or no leakage. For example, toobtain class V status, as defined by ANSI/FCI classification, theleakage permitted is limited to 5×10 ml per minute per inch of orificediameter per p.s.i. differential. Moreover, the valve must operate witha pressure differential of 50 p.s.i. at 125° Fahrenheit.

Referring to FIG. 6, when operating the MADV apparatus unit 10, there isa need to transfer longitudinal motion from the pneumatic valve actuator36 to the valve's plug 18. However, due to the above-described design ofthe MADV apparatus unit 10, this transfer is carried out through thebody of the valve containing a liquid at a pressure. Accordingly,embodiments of the present invention may utilize a stuffing box toprevent the likelihood of leakage of the cooling fluid between slidingparts of the valve stem 37 b. A stuffing box maybe a gland seal or thelike, used to seal a rotating or reciprocating shaft against a fluid.

FIG. 6 illustrates a live loaded stuffing box in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention is depicted. As illustrated, thestuffing box is affixed to the main body 12. The stuffing box 62includes an extended length guide bushing 71 which provides betterguidance for the valve stem 37 b. The stuffing box 62 further includes afirst layer of braided graphite packing 70 a, followed by three layersof spring graphite packing 70 b and an additional layer of braidedgraphite packing 70 a, disposed above the quite bushing 71. Acompression ring 68 holds the aforementioned packing layers in place.While a compression ring positioner 66 retains the compression ring 68in place. A first washer 64 is placed above the compression ringpositioner 66 which has a bolt 63 in its center. On the other side ofthe first washer 64, six shoulder spring discs 65 are placed forming thelive load three concave shaped module. A second washer 64 is placed ontop of the six shoulder spring discs 65 and the assembly is held inplace with bolt 63.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the a first layer and last layer of braidedgraphite packing 70 a along with the three layers of spring graphitepacking 70 b are compressed against the main body 12 and the valve stem37 b forming a water tight seal. This picking and resulting seal allowthe valve stem 37 b to move up and down. Other packing schemas may alsobe employed without taking away from the spirit of the invention. Forexample, the spring type packing material me be substituted with PTFE orany other low friction durable material.

During operation, the stuffing box may be exposed to extreme temperaturevariations and vibration forces. After time, the bolts holding thepacking together would eventually come loose and effect the performanceof the packing. A first solution would have a technician performperiodic inspection and adjust the bolts back into a predeterminedtorque value. An alternative to prevent the bolts from coming loose inthe first place and is achieved through live loading stuffing box. Liveloading is achieved through use of the six shoulder spring discs 65which help absorb the vibrations and compensate for the temperaturevariations. The present invention may be utilized without live loading,but as stated above, it would require periodic maintenance.

1. A valve assembly for desuperheating a gas or a liquid having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, comprising: a valve body having an inlet and an outlet, where a channel extends there between: an actuator connected to said valve body; wherein said actuator comprises a transversable actuator rod that extends into said channel of said valve body; a valve seat disposed proximate to said outlet within said channel; a plug disposed within said channel and attached to said transversable actuator rod, wherein said transversable actuator rod translates said plug within said channel; a spray tube coupled to the outlet of said valve; and at least one spray head affixed to said spray tube.
 2. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said channel comprises: a first section extending from said inlet that extends generally normal to the longitudinal axis; and a second section extends from said outlet that extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis.
 3. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spray head is disposed within a conduit through which the gas or liquid to be desuperheated flows.
 4. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spray head further comprises: a fluid inlet and a spray outlet; a spring-loaded plunger retained in a cylindrical housing; a plunger inserted into the spray outlet of said cylindrical housing; a plunger stop attached to said cylindrical housing at said fluid inlet; and a spring retainer attached to said plunger.
 5. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is a pneumatically operated.
 6. The actuator of claim 5, wherein the actuator is electrically operated, hydraulically operated or manually operated.
 7. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said valve seat further comprises a conical geometry having its minor frustrum extending into said outlet and a first planar shoulder ring positioned on said valve seat having a surface at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis.
 8. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said plug has a conical geometry and further comprises a second planar shoulder ring positioned on said plug having a surface extending at said angle relative to the longitudinal axis, wherein said plug and valve seat provide a sealing engagement.
 9. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said plug and said valve seat have generally conical geometries to permit algebraic dampening of the flow of cooling liquid through said valve assembly based upon said plug's proximate position to the valve seat.
 10. The valve assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a stuffing box positioned between said actuator and said channel, wherein said stuffing box permits translation of said transversable actuator rod.
 11. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said plug, said valve seat and valve body are seat are constructed from one of the following: 420 Stainless Steel, carbon steel, Stellite (cobalt-chromium alloys), brass, beryllium-copper or any heat durable corrosion resistant metal or alloy.
 12. The valve assembly according to claim 3, further comprises: a downstream sensor to monitor said gas or liquid proximate to said conduit; and a controller to receive said downstream sensor information; and an actuator control mechanism.
 13. The valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inlet and outlet have flange connections.
 14. A valve assembly for desuperheating a gas or a liquid having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, comprising: a valve body having an inlet and an outlet, where a channel extends there between: a valve seat disposed proximate to said outlet within said channel; and a plug disposed within said channel and attached to a transversable actuator rod, wherein said transversable actuator rod translates said plug within said channel.
 15. A method for desuperheating a gas or a liquid utilizing a valve assembly, comprising: detecting a temperature of said gas or liquid to be desuperheated; sending said detected temperature to a controller; sending a control signal to a valve actuator coupled to a valve, wherein said valve comprises: a valve body having an inlet and an outlet, where a channel extends there between: a valve seat disposed proximate to said outlet within said channel; and a plug disposed within said channel and attached to a transversable actuator rod, wherein said transversable actuator rod translates said plug within said channel; and positioning said plug proximate to the valve seat in response to the signal.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: detecting additional temperatures of said gas or liquid to be desuperheated; sending additional temperature detections to said controller; sending additional temperature signals to said valve actuator coupled to said valve; positioning said plug proximate to the valve seat in response to the additional control signals.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the valve further comprises at least one spray nozzle disposed within a conduit through which the gas or liquid to be desuperheated flows.
 18. The method of claim 13, wherein said actuator is a pneumatic actuator.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the plug and the valve seat have a conical geometry.
 20. A for desuperheating a gas or a liquid utilizing a valve assembly, comprising: means for detecting a temperature of steam in a steam pipe; means for sending said temperature to a controller; means for controlling a control signal to a valve actuator coupled to a plug inside a valve; means for positioning said plug proximate to a valve seat inside said valve to increase or decrease a flow rate of a cooling traversing through said valve; and means for spraying said liquid coolant with a spray nozzle into said steam pipe. 